Olive Mae Thacker

Born April 15, 1917, in Letcher County, Ky., she was the daughter of Ida Mae and Elijah Combs and a graduate of Hindman Settlement School. She made her home and cherished her family for the past 63 years in Newport News with her beloved husband of 54 years, Mitchell, who preceded her in death. Her siblings who include Dock Combs and his wife, Wilma, Clyde Combs and his wife, Freida, Elijah Combs Jr. and his wife, Frances, Mitchell Combs and his wife, Jenny, and brother-in-law, Joe Quaintance survive her.

Mrs. Thacker was truly a self-made woman: an incomparable seamstress, an unparalleled cook, extremely independent, and the model of perseverance in the face of hardship. She attended Orcutt Baptist Church and was a member of the Dorcas-Rebekah Sunday School class. Friends and neighbors remember her as a woman of great strength and unsurpassed dependability.

Mrs. Thacker's greatest treasure was her family, which includes daughter, Betty Thacker Overman and her husband, Ernie, and son, Bobby Ray Thacker and his wife, Cathy. Her memory is also honored by her grandchildren which include Jeff Harris and his wife, Mary Ellen, Teresa Haskin and her husband, David, Tammy Jo Price and her husband, Bill, Scott Thacker and his wife, Ellen, and Brian Thacker and his wife, Laurie; 13 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. She leaves a legacy of steadfast loyalty and memories of her home filled with extended family, her kitchen overflowing with delectable dishes, and her smiling face reflecting the joy of a life well-lived.

The family will receive visitors at Peninsula Funeral Home on Thursday, May 5, from 7 to 8 p.m. A graveside service will take place in Peninsula Memorial Park on Friday, May 6, at 11 a.m.

The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to Orcutt Baptist Church.